Syria says airstrike kills tribal fighters
U.S. warned Russia of buildup of pro-grovernment forces poised to attack
BEIRUT — Syrian staterun media said Thursday that dozens of tribal fighters were killed and wounded in a rare U.S. strike on government-backed troops in eastern Syria, calling it a new effort “to support terrorism.”
The U.S.-led coalition said its action was in “self-defense,” citing a major attack on its allied forces and U.S. advisers in Deir el-Zour province by at least 500 fighters, battle tanks, howitzers and mortars.
The overnight attack, which a U.S. military official earlier said killed about 100 of the attackers, added another layer to the Syrian conflict that is once again plunging into a new and unpredictable spiral of violence.
The attack in Deir el-Zour province in northeastern Syria occurred in crowded battle space. A stronghold of Islamic State militants until late last year, the province also was the group’s main source of oil revenue. U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces have been fighting for control of Deir el-Zour with rival Russian-backed Syrian troops that are reinforced by Iranian-supported militias.
The U.S.-backed forces control areas east of the Euphrates River and most of the oil and gas fields, while government forces are based in the west. Previous friction was reported before, but Wednesday’s incident appeared to be the largest since last year. The Islamic State militants have been dispersed in the province, which also has a number of U.S. bases.
In an email Thursday to The Associated Press, Col. Thomas Veale said the coalition reported to the Russians the buildup of the pro-government forces in the area before the attack, and communicated with them during and after it. The Russian officials offered assurances that they would not engage the coalition forces in the area, Veale said.
“Pro-regime forces initiated hostilities with artillery pieces [howitzers]. Additionally, Syrian pro-regime forces maneuvered T-55 and T-72 main battle tanks with supporting mortar fire in what appears to be a coordinated attack on Syrian Democratic Forces approximately [5 miles] east of the Euphrates River de-confliction line in Khusham, Syria,” Veale said.
By crossing the river, the pro-government forces would have violated the existing de-confliction agreement between Washington and Moscow, approaching U.S.-backed forces based near an oil field. Russia is the main ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Asked if Russia was responsible for not stopping the attack, Veale said: “The de-confliction effort has served its purpose. Just as the coalition does not direct the operations of the [Syrian Democratic Forces], the Russians do not direct operations of the Syrian regime.”
Veale said they suspect the Syrian pro-government forces were trying to seize terrain from the U.S.-backed forces liberated from Islamic State militants last year, including major oil fields in the area.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the U.S. airstrike wounded 25 pro-Syrian volunteers. It alleged the incident showed that Washington was not interested in fighting Islamic militants but wanted “to seize and hold Syrian economic assets.”
Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said he told the U.N. Security Council on Thursday that the U.S.-led coalition’s airstrikes were “inadmissible” and “deplorable.” He said they cannot be repeated.
Nebenzia told reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York that he reminded the council that the coalition wasn’t invited into Syria, and Russia sees that its fight against “international terrorism” is going “beyond that.”
Syria’s state media said the coalition bombed government-backed troops in Khusham, describing them as tribal fighters. The media cited reports of dozens killed and wounded.
The official Syrian Arab News Agency said the local fighters were battling Islamic State militants and the U.S.backed Syrian Democratic Forces in the area.
The agency labeled it an “aggression” and a “new massacre.” It later reported that 10 strikes by the coalition had caused “massive destruction.”
The head of the Syrian Democratic Forces unit in the area, Ahmed Abu Khawla, said the attackers were government-backed local militias known as the National Defense Forces. He said they started the attack near oil fields on the east side of the Euphrates.
In Beirut, an official with Hezbollah said the group has no presence in the area hit by the coalition, adding that those who came under fire were pro-Assad forces known as the Popular Committees, as well as the Syrian National Defense Forces. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.
Information for this article was contributed by Albert Aji, Suzan Fraser and Lolita C. Baldor of The Associated Press.